Tottenham spent more than £300m in the summer. Five league games in, they have two points and sit 19th. Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Aston Villa at home was the kind of loss that tells you nothing new, which is the worst part of it.
Roberto de Zerbi used one word afterwards that his supporters will recognise: fragile.
The goal that broke them
Spurs had the first 20 minutes. Zion Suzuki, Villa's new goalkeeper, denied Savio and Archie Gray. Nothing went in, and at this stage of Tottenham's decline that is usually the story.
In first-half stoppage time, with Micky van de Ven off the pitch receiving treatment for a blow to the face, Andy Robertson tried to cut out a corner and handed the ball to John McGinn. Boubacar Kamara shot, Johan Manzambi prodded in the rebound. Some Spurs fans were already queuing for half-time drinks and missed it.
Tottenham have now failed to win any of their last 36 Premier League games in which they conceded first. Nicolas Jackson made it two after Suzuki launched one downfield, and Emi Buendia hit a 25-yard shot into the top corner on 79 minutes for the third. Thousands left at that point. Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late, and the people who had stayed got to watch a scoreline tidy itself up without meaning anything.
De Zerbi takes it on himself
"My focus is why we concede the first goal with 10 players, we can stay stronger, communicate more and more, defend in a compact way," De Zerbi said. He had moved Rodrigo Bentancur to centre-back and Mateus Fernandes into midfield while Van de Ven was off.
He was harder on the second goal. "We knew this season Aston Villa are playing 86% more long balls than last season. We had many meetings about it." Then: "I am very sad and frustrated with the performance. We cannot lose this game in this way. The second goal we conceded was incredible."
He did not speak to the players afterwards. He named six of them as needing to work harder on their physical condition: James Maddison, Gallagher, Dominic Solanke, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi and Savio. The Villa supporters, meanwhile, were singing "sacked in the morning" at him.
Worse than 2008
This is Tottenham's poorest start to a top-flight season since 2008-09, when Juande Ramos also had two points after five and was gone three defeats later. Harry Redknapp came in and got them to eighth. It is also the first time since 1986 that Spurs have opened a season with five league games and no win.
Joe Cole, on TNT, questioned the whole summer. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle for £100m and was outplayed by McGinn, who cost Villa £2.75m from Hibs eight years ago. Mateus Fernandes cost £85m from West Ham and was taken off at half-time, with De Zerbi saying he "didn't like" the performance. Savio cost £75m from Manchester City. Omar Marmoush will cost £60m when his loan turns permanent and offered nothing.
"I feel they have overpaid for every player they bought this summer," Cole said. "You can't rule them out from being in and around the relegation battle."
Villa needed this too
Villa had lost three of their opening four. Their own rebuild cost more than £250m and was forced on them by the players who left. Suzuki looks like a proper replacement for Emiliano Martinez, and Manzambi's goal was the first sign that the new attacking pieces are finding each other.
Glenn Murray, speaking on Final Score, made the case for patience with De Zerbi. Spurs have had more shots in three of the last four games, more possession and more touches in the opposition box. "The metrics are there to say he will turn it around."
Three weeks of international football now buy him some quiet. He will need it.
Match facts: Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Saturday 19 September 2026. Villa: Manzambi (45+1), Jackson (second half), Buendia (79). Spurs: Gallagher, Van Hecke (both late). Tottenham 19th on two points from five games, their worst start since 2008-09. Villa's first league win of the season.
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